1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to combines and more particularly, to a produce or crop cutting assembly for mounting on the header platform of a combine to position multiple cutting blades in close proximity to the rotating combine cross auger. The multiple, spaced cutter blades are designed to cut vines and tangled vetch associated with crop or produce elements such as soybeans which would normally wrap around the rotating auger and prevent efficient processing of the produce through the combine. In a preferred embodiment blade mount brackets attached to the combine platform adjacent to the crop discharge window are adjustable to facilitate location of the spaced cutter blades in a selected close proximity with respect to the rotating auger, for more efficient cutting of vines, stalks and other tangling elements which tend to entangle and wrap around the auger, thus frequently necessitating combine shutdown and manual removal of the crop or produce.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the problems realized in operating combines to harvest such crops as soybeans, is that of entanglement of the vines and other associated crop elements around the rotating auger which operates to move the precut crop from the field through a produce discharge window and on through the combine, to remove the beans from the stalks. The crop is initially cut near the ground by a set of stalk cutting blades mounted on the front of the header. The vines tend to wrap around flights and auger fingers on the rotating cross auger, thereby choking the cross auger, blocking the crop discharge window and ultimately necessitating stopping the combine and manually removing the vines from the auger before proceeding with the harvest. The necessity for periodically stopping and removing vines, stalks and other produce or crop elements from entanglement with the cross auger is expensive, time-consuming and greatly increases crop harvesting time. The result is an expensive increase in the cost of both labor and wear and tear on equipment, as well as a greater chance for crop spoilage in the field.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a crop cutting assembly for mounting on a combine and cutting vines and other crop or produce elements which tend to wrap around and entangle the rotating cross auger in the combine header, thereby decreasing harvesting time, as well as the incidence of downtime and maintenance required on the combine.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved crop cutting assembly fitted with multiple cutter blades and blade mount brackets mounted on the combine header, with the cutter blades located in close proximity to the rotating cross auger for cutting vines, stalks and other produce elements which entangle the cross auger, thereby promoting more efficient processing of the vines and produce elements to the combine.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved produce or crop cutting assembly for mounting on the combine header of a combine adjacent to the produce discharge window, which crop cutting assembly is fitted with multiple, spaced cutter blades located in close proximity to the rotating cross auger for cutting vines, stalks and other produce elements which tend to wrap around and jam the cross auger and damage the auger fingers as the combine harvests the crop.